As a new Farmer myself who bought our farm 4 years ago, I can’t tell you how accurate Clarkson’s Farm actually is!
We spent £3.5m buying our farm and subsequently in the past 4 years we’ve had to spend at least £527,000 on farm machinery and much, much more on running the farm. We’ve lost money every year since so far, and have had challenges or refusal from local authorities everytime we’ve tried to diversity, or do something to generate extra income. I cannot stress how difficult it is for farmers who have to rely on farming for their only income.
We don’t get any subsidies or BPS payments at all (because we’re new farmers) and the grant system might as well be in Greek! As a CEO and professional businessman of some note, I felt I could easily apply for the grants myself. I kid you not, you’ve never seen a more complicated form - for ANYTHING!
The farm we bought had been in the same family for 3 generations, but it was sold because it was getting tougher to support the farmers growing family and now I’ve been in it for 4 years I can see why.
It’s a crying shame that more and more food is going to be imported and more skills lost because, for some unknown reason, the government obviously don’t value farmers. Sad.
🐴 KING OF THE NORTH… OR JUST ANOTHER LEADERSHIP CONTENDER? 🐴
Lately we’re being told that Andy Burnham is Labour’s great hope. The man who will ride in and save the party from the mess it has created for itself.
Good grief.
This is the same Andy Burnham who lost two Labour leadership elections before leaving Westminster for Manchester.
Now, with Labour struggling in Government and confidence draining away, we’re suddenly expected to believe he’s the answer.
The bigger question is why so much political energy is being spent discussing who comes next.
Farmers are fighting for their futures.
Businesses are struggling with rising costs.
Families are feeling the squeeze.
Yet Westminster seems obsessed with leadership speculation, succession plans and positioning for the next contest.
The country is being governed as if the priority is managing Labour’s future rather than Britain’s present.
If Sir Keir Starmer is still the right person to lead the country, then Labour should get behind him and get on with governing.
If he isn’t, they should be honest about it.
What Britain doesn’t need is a never-ending leadership audition while the Government’s problems continue to mount.
For many people, that’s the real frustration.
Not who might wear the crown next.
So many politicians appear focused on the crown while the country is crying out for leadership.
This whole debacle is appalling. Britain needs a Government focused on solving problems, not plotting succession plans.
The consequences of this Government’s decisions will be felt long after Labour has left office.
#FarmersTakeAction
#LeaveNoFarmBehind
#LabourOut
Russel Abbot held a road and bridges Farmers Protest last year which we covered together in Suffolk
Today he is another kind of ambassador for Farming and rural life - explaining to members of the public young and old what happens on a family farm also in Suffolk. The issues facing farmers, what needs to be done - all with the same enthusiasm & passion that we see in farmers daily across Britain
Thank you for your service
Coming Live from Woodlands Farm Open Day shortly…a day out for farmers and families showing working family farm, agriculture and rural life
Will be on GB News too….
Britain loves our farmers!
Young people who support and love our Farmers are throwing their hands in - with fresh strawberries cream and cocktails!
@meltonsuffolkyf
We need to make sure we encourage & inspire the next generation to become farmers. Currently the costs & treatment by government are doing the opposite!
With Our Farmers
Woodlands Farm open day
“It’s been an enormously difficult year for family farmers” Chris Suckling
We are Live at Woodlands Farm in Suffolk where farming life is opened up to the Public
The British Public love our farmers! The backbone of Britain
I’ll be doing updates throughout day & @GBNEWS will be covering too..
🚜 Farmers are not looking to be rescued by the government.
We are asking government to recognise the importance of thriving farm businesses and stop decimating them through poor policy, endless uncertainty and last-minute changes that make it impossible to plan ahead.
No business can invest confidently when the goalposts are constantly being moved.
Farmers are told to improve productivity, embrace technology and think long-term. Yet at the same time they face sudden tax changes, support schemes withdrawn without warning, rising regulation, increasing costs and trade policies that often leave British producers at a disadvantage.
That isn’t asking for a rescue package. It’s asking for a stable environment in which businesses can operate, invest and grow.
British farmers have always adapted. We adapt to markets, weather, disease pressures and changing consumer demands. Resilience has never been the problem.
The problem is a government that talks about food security while making decisions that weaken the very businesses responsible for delivering it.
Farmers don’t want handouts.
We want certainty, fairness and policies that recognise food production is not just another industry. It is a strategic national asset.
If ministers truly want farmers to be masters of their own destiny, they should stop making it harder for them to shape it.
#FarmersTakeAction
#LeaveNoFarmBehind
Let me categorically Debunk this utter rot. @sainsburys.
I am a poultry Breeder. The hens that lay white eggs (Amberline/White Star) DO NOT have a lower carbon footprint.
Yes they eat a bit less and produce roughly the same amount of eggs as the Brown egg layers (Bovan/Lowman/ISA Brown) but they live shorter lives, are prone to dying suddenly when startled, a flighty and nervous and because they live shorter productive lives (12 -18mnths) vs brown 18/24mnths (both commercial farmed), you have to incubate more which is increased (Electricity/gas costs) and their eggs are not the same quality.
I breed and keep 20+ different breeds, including: ISA Brown hens and White Stars. All my hens are 100% free range, Not a single barn kept bird, I have ISA browns that are 5yrs old and still laying beautiful Brown eggs, I have not seen a White star live beyond 3yrs and certainly none have laid eggs past 18-24mnths.
White stars Lay themselves to death. They are slender birds and because they dont eat a lot, it drains their personal vitality to keep up laying the eggs you want to sell because of the nonsensical lie that they are "More Carbon Neutral"
You want to know about eggs, come talk to someone like me, Don't rely on some hairbrained imagination of a buyer who's trying to squeeze the profit margin for a few extra pennies at our expense and to the poor hens detriment.
🇪🇺THIS SPS DEAL WON’T JUST HIT EXPORTERS , IT WILL REWRITE THE RULES FOR EVERY UK FARMER
Defra is asking for views on the proposed UK-EU SPS agreement and farmers, growers and rural businesses need to pay attention fast.
This is being sold as a way to make trade with the EU easier, cheaper and more predictable but the small print matters. Defra’s own information says the agreement will involve “dynamic alignment” with relevant EU legislation across areas such as animal health, plant health, food safety, feed, veterinary medicines, plant protection products and GM/precision bred organisms. Crucially, that legislation could apply across the UK , not just to businesses that export to the EU.
That means even if you never send a single tonne, lamb, plant, pallet or product to Europe, you will still end up farming under rules shaped elsewhere.
Yes, exporters may see benefits from less paperwork, fewer checks and smoother movement of goods. But non exporting farms, growers and rural businesses could still face the consequences of regulatory alignment, changes to crop protection options, pressure on innovation, and knock on effects across the domestic supply chain. Defra’s call for information is open until 23 April 2026.
And here’s the political point: Labour’s 2024 manifesto does not include this UK-EU SPS proposal. Farmers are therefore right to ask questions and make their voices heard now.
‼️If this deal could change how you farm, what inputs you use, how you trade, or what rules apply to your business, then speak up now before others decide for you.
Respond to Defra’s consultation here: https://t.co/IZZDcBAHUq
@DefraGovUK
💷 BILLIONS FOR RETAIL. RISK LOADED ONTO FARMERS.
🍾 Retailers celebrate growth.
‼️ Farmers carry the fallout.
While the retail Tesco posts £66.6bn in sales, £3.15bn profit and rising dividends, Britain’s food producers are being hammered by fuel shocks, fertiliser inflation, inheritance tax pressure and unfair imports from countries playing by different rules.
💣 Iran conflict? Farmers pay.
⛽️ Fuel spike? Farmers pay.
🧪 Fertiliser shock? Farmers pay.
💰 Tax raid? Farmers pay.
⚠️ Cheap imports from lower standard systems? Farmers pay again.
👩🌾 Primary producers carry the risk.
🛒 Retail carries on counting the money.
This is the truth at the heart of the food chain:
‼️ those who produce the food have the least power and carry the greatest burden.
🇬🇧 British farmers cannot go on being the buffer for global chaos, government policy failure and supply chain greed.
Protect the producer or lose the producer.
It really is that simple.
#LeaveNoFarmsBehind #FarmersTakeAction #FoodSecurity #BritishFarming #FairPricesForFarmers
@Tesco@DefraGovUK@hmtreasury
📆 Today is 6 April 2026. Mark it. Remember it. 🚩
The day from which inheritance tax is applied to agricultural and business assets in the UK.
‼️This did not happen by accident.
‼️This was a political choice.
On 30 October 2024, Rachel Reeves set this in motion. Since then, farmers, families and rural businesses have been dragged through months of anger, uncertainty and betrayal while Westminster tried to pretend this was reasonable, fair and would apply to so few estates, it would make no difference .
⚠️ It is not harmless.
⚠️ It is not fair.
⚠️ And farmers are not fools.
But anyone who knows farming knows exactly why that is so dishonest. A family farm can look valuable on paper while delivering very modest income in the real world. Land, buildings, stock and machinery are not piles of spare cash sitting in a bank account. They are the working parts of a living business built over generations.
This policy strikes at the heart of succession.
It punishes continuity and threatens the future of family farms and family businesses.
And it tells the countryside exactly what this government thinks of those who employ, protect landscapes and ultimately feed the nation.
🥊 Since Reeves made that announcement, farmers and campaigners have fought back with courage, grit and determination. They have stood in the cold and rain. They have travelled the country. They have marched, protested, organised, spoken out and refused to shut up while the political class and its cheerleaders tried to wave this through and through grit, determination and persistence, they have got concessions. Now Ministers hide behind the headline of a £2.5 million threshold per person, transferable between spouses, but this is still an attack on British family business. It will still affect the majority of medium and larger businesses that produce food for the country and will destroy entrepreneurial aspiration for everyone.
⛔️ So let today be a warning.
👉 We know who did this.
👉 We know when they did it.
👉 We must stand up for what is right.
This is not just about tax.
It is about survival.
It is about succession.
It is about whether Britain will still have independent family farms and businesses left to pass on.
6 April 2026 is not the end of this fight.
It is the day the mask fully slipped.
The day the countryside saw exactly what it is up against and the day more people understood that if they do this to farming, they will do it to every productive family business they can get their hands on.
No surrender. We fight for the future.
#FarmersTakeAction
#LeaveNoFarmBehind
@hmtreasury
🇬🇧🚜 Sainsbury’s is pouring £5 billion into British and Irish farming, expanding long-term contracts in a bid to stabilise a sector under growing strain
READ MORE: https://t.co/ILICFq9PQP
🚨💷 BREAKING: The Bank of England has announced its first ever £100 note, mirroring Scotland, who first issued £100 notes 330 years ago.
🏦 The new note will honour Rachel Reeves for her “significant contribution” as a junior economist for “nearly a decade” between September 2000 and March 2006.
Nearly a decade.
Five and a half years, for those still using the old maths.
🧮 Officials say the decision reflects Ms Reeves’ outstanding contribution to economic thinking, imaginative accounting, and the ongoing redefinition of basic numbers in public life.
The new note is expected to feature the inscription:
🚩 Rachael Reeves
junior economist at the B of E 🚩
A Bank of England spokesperson said:
“We felt it was only right to commemorate a career of almost-ten-years, in the same spirit that we measure inflation, borrowing, and economic credibility.”
The Treasury is understood to be delighted with the design, describing it as:
“a powerful symbol of value reduction, monetary distortion, and a public insult.”
Economists have welcomed the move, noting that a £100 note will now be essential for anyone hoping to buy half a tank of fuel, pop into a Tesco Local for bread and milk, or secure a weeks supply of heating oil.
🇬🇧 Britain truly is back:
💷 new note,
😵💫 old spin,
🤔 and the same contempt for arithmetic.
#RachelReeves
#LeaveNoFarmsBehind
#CreativeAccounting
#FarmersTakeAction
#TakingUsForAprilFools
@hmtreasury
🇫🇷 France Moves Fast ⛽️ Fuel Emergency Package Announced ⛽️
While others are still “reviewing the situation”, the French Government have already deployed a targeted €70 million emergency fuel support package for April.
This is not theory. It’s a lifeline on the table.
What can those affected expect?
🐟 Fishermen
20 cents per litre rebate on marine diesel reimbursed against invoices.
A direct intervention to keep vessels operating and supply chains moving.
🚛 Small haulage operators
20 cents per litre support, backed by a €50 million fund.
Strictly targeted businesses must demonstrate genuine financial pressure.
Not universal relief but fast, focused support where it’s needed most.
🚜 Farmers
Full excise duty exemption on agricultural GNR (red diesel equivalent) for April.
Estimated cost: €14 million.
Immediate impact: tractors keep moving, fieldwork continues, production doesn’t stall.
Policy escalation at EU level:
France will take its case to the European Agriculture Council on March 30, pushing for:
⚠️ Suspension of carbon border measures on fertilisers, or
⚠️ Direct compensation for farmers
‼️ The rationale is straightforward:
If domestic producers carry higher regulatory costs than imports, the market isn’t competitive; it’s distorted.‼️
What this actually is:
• Targeted; specific sectors, not blanket giveaways
• Temporary;one month, not permanent subsidy designed to buy time
• Operational; designed to maintain economic activity now
This is not a long term solution.
It’s a cash flow tourniquet to stop critical industries bleeding while energy markets remain volatile.
The wider signal:
France has recognised a basic economic truth:
👉 If fuel costs spike suddenly, production and transport fail first: not eventually, immediately.
The question for the UK:
When input costs surge across fuel, fertiliser, and logistics, do we stabilise production…
or watch capacity quietly disappear?
#FuelCrisis
#FoodSecurity
#LeaveNoFarmsBehind
#FarmersTakeAction
🛒 Big change in the supermarket aisle…
Tesco is trialling QR codes on fresh produce – and it could be a real game changer for how we buy our food.
Instead of a simple barcode, shoppers could scan a QR code and instantly see where their food comes from, how it was produced, and even learn more about the farm behind it.
In a time where food security, traceability, and trust matter more than ever, this kind of transparency could be hugely positive. People want to know:
🌱 Was it grown in the UK?
🚜 Who produced it?
📍 How far has it travelled?
For farmers, this could also be an opportunity to tell their story directly to the consumer – something that’s often lost in the supply chain.
Of course, it raises questions too…
Will it be used to genuinely support British farming, or just as another layer of marketing? And will all retailers follow suit?
👉 What do you think – would you scan a QR code to learn more about your food? Or do you already try to buy direct where possible?
#FoodTransparency #BritishFarming #KnowYourFarmer #FoodSecurity
#LeaveNoFarmBehind
Restore Britain's latest policy paper has just been released - abolishing inheritance tax.
For farmers, for small businesses, for everyone.
Restore Britain would abolish all inheritance tax.
https://t.co/7KPadRehvy